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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. BRAOKEBUSH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FURNITU RE-CASTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 223,702, dated January 20, 1880.

Application filed September 25, 1879.

To all whom tt may concern v Beit known that I, CHARLES J. BRACKE- BUsH, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furniture-Casters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to furniturecasters constructed with two licor-wheels hung on the same axis to a saddle which is connected with the furniture through the medium of a loosely swiveled or balland-socket joint, whereby the saddle is permitted to rock sufficiently to aci commodate the tloorwheelsV to any uneven- SVO ness in the floor; and it consists in the employment of a cap which is fitted below the,

socket in the saddle, and between which and the ball the saddle plays, as will be more vfully hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side, and Fig. 2 a front, elevation of my improved caster. Fig. 3 is a vertical mid-section taken in the plane of the line wx. Fig. 4 is an inverted plan or bottom view, and Fig. 5 is a Y section similar to Fig. 3, showing a modification.

Let A represent the furniture-plate, which is adapted to be screwed or otherwise attached to the furniture-leg,`aml B the saddle, swiveled to and under the plate A, and bearing two licor-wheels, O O, which are arranged on the same axis, and free to rotate independently of each other. D is an anti-friction wheel, having bearings in the saddle B, rolling against the under surface of the plate A, and arranged just above and between the oorwhcels, where it will serve to transmit the weight of the furniture to the latter.

The plate A is provided with a ball-shaped or hemispherical central pendent projection, E, and the saddle B is provided with a corresponding hemispherical socket, F, in its upper side, the two fitting closely together. The under side of the saddle B has a spherical swell corresponding-to the socket F, and this is closely embraced by a cap, G. The socket F and cap G are provided with a central hole, through which projects a stem, H, which, in Figs. l to 4, is a wood-screw driven from below into the furniture-leg, its head a serving to hold on the cap G and sustain the saddle B.

A modification of this construction is shown in Fig. 5, where H represents a neck projecting down from and forming a part of the ball E, and screw-threaded at its end for the rethe head a shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

The saddle B is provided with a lug or projection, b, upon its upper surface, which, normally, does not quite touch the plate A. This projection is arranged on the opposite side of the ball-and-socket connection from the wheel D, and serves to prevent the too great deflection of the saddle at `the front, where the wheels C O are situated, when the caster is lifted off the ioor.

It will be lobserved that while perfect mobility is secured at the swiveled connection between the saddle and plate A, yet the parts are capable of being closely fitted to each other, so as to take up any looseness and prevent all rattling or other noise in the operation of the caster. The cap G keeps the socket F always pressed closely against the ball E, and is itself kept in place by the head or nut a.. When wear occurs, so .that the parts become loose, they can be brought together again by -a-turn of the screw or nut.

The entire interior of the cap G may be in contact with the socket F, as shown in Fig. 3, or it may touch the latter at its edge only, as in Fig. 5, as preferred.

I am aware that it is not new tomake a caster with two wheels in the same axis journaled in a saddle which is connected by a loose or open swivel to the furniture-plate,

and which bears an anti-friction wheel whose` axis is in a continuation of a radial line extending over the space between the floorwheels, so that the saddle may rock and accommodate the floor-wheels to the inequalities of the iioor, this being shown in the English patent of Mackelcan and Murdoch, No. 8,747 of 1840. I therefore make no claim to this subject-matter 5 but What I do claim as my invention is as follows: y

The combination of the wheels O B, wheel D, furniture-plate A, ball F, close-fitting cap `G,and stem head a., substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof l have here nto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR` G. FRASER, HENRY GONNETT.

ception of a nut, a, which is" the equivalent of 5 5 IOC- 

